German musician Nico was a lot of things, as we are told by singer Danielle Asciak in Nico: Songs They Never Played on the Radio. But there's also a lot of things she isn't known for, or at the very least, she hasn't received the acknowledgement that she deserves. On the 30th anniversary of Nico's death, Asciak has teamed up with Forest Collective to host a unique interpretation of Nico's music through chamber music arrangements.
Artistic director of Forest Collective and Nico conductor, Evan Lawson, has brought together eight musicians (Vilan Mai, Ali Fyffe, Trea Hindley, Bec Scully, Erica Tucceri, Isabel Hede, Nikki Edgar and William Elm) to accompany Asciak as she takes us on a journey not just through Nico's music, but also her life. Despite much of the room not knowing who Nico was, the brief anecdotal history we are given and the power of the songs selected, allow the audience to garner an understanding of who this woman was and understand the challenges she faced in how she was defined.
If you're looking for a unique evening of sumptuous music during the Melbourne Fringe Festival, you need look no further than Nico: Songs They Never Played on the Radio. Forest Collective have been building a reputation for reinterpreting existing music through traditional instruments and chamber musicians to create new and innovative music, and Nico looks like it too will be living up to those expectations. Devised by Evan Lawson and Danielle Asciak, Nico is a tribute to the German musician of the same name, active from the 1960s up until her death in 1988.
“The show is a journey into Nico's inner vs. outer world through her music," cabaret artist Asciak tells me. "We've taken songs that we feel best represent the story of Nico; from her early artist days, to her time in Velvet Underground and the songs in her final composition days. This will be the world premiere of commissioned arrangements."
